


Lost souls

by Lil_keet



Series: Lost souls [1]
Category: Elyza Lex (Fanverse), Multi-Fandom
Genre: F/F, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Multi, Other, Queer the walking dead - Freeform, elyza lex - Freeform, qtwd - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 15:08:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6475159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_keet/pseuds/Lil_keet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For weeks Elyza Lex believes that this"outbreak" will blow over, so she might as well spend her time taking what she wants and not giving a fuck about anyone else but herself.<br/>It's all fun and games until your face is nearly bitten off by the walking dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Kill

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Fic so i dunno if I'll make it a series or not.
> 
> Set before Elyza meets Alicia.

The whole world had gone to shit. Well that was an understatement if Elyza had ever heard one. The world had already been shit before people started eating each others faces off.  
Elyza understood the ways of the world, the greed of men, corruption of state, money made the world turn after all. So when the dead began to rise from their graves, like out of one of those big budget Hollywood movies, it was every man, woman and child for themselves.

The first few weeks of the outbreak the blonde Australian beauty spent her days looting anything she came across. The first place she looted was an armory, she's grinned wickedly as she and several others smashed their way through the front of the shop. Complete anarchy had begun to run rampant in the streets and if you were stupid enough to not have a weapon to protect yourself then you deserved to be eaten alive.  
With backpack full off assorted weapons Elyza set off, her sky blues eyes gleaming dangerously. Time for the fun to begin.

Those first few weeks she was a naive idiot. She took pleasure in taking the things she had never had the leisure of owning. A thousand dollar watch, a diamond necklace, the latest Iphone, all those material things a young girl raised in the system always dreams of. She ate like a king, not bothering to conserve food or water, instead she stockpiled on rum and got roaring drunk in whatever house she ended up crashing in. She was careless. It'll blow over she thought, might as well have fun while it lasts before its back to living on people's couch or a park bench by Venice beach. 

Everything changed the first time she came face to face with a walker. Her clothes had begun to omit an odor that even she couldn't ignore. The first clothes store she found she walked in, gun idly hanging in her hand. She had learnt to shoot from an ex friends nutcase boyfriend ( a nutcase because she'd slept with the said friend and he then tried to shoot her). They used go out and shoot tin cans and glass beer bottles for the hell of it. So she wasn't completely inexperienced when it came to wielding a gun.  
The first thing she tries on is a pair of dark blue jeans. Comfortable and easy to move in. They complement my eyes she thinks as she stares at her reflection in the mirror. Out of habit she looks at the price tag and chuckles slightly in amusement. $80, she'd never spent that much money on, well anything, let alone a pair of jeans. She ripped the tag off and crumpled it in her hands.

"80 bucks my arse." She says aloud to herself as she throws the crumpled up tag, a look of satisfaction spreads across her light tanned face.

She walks over to another rack, shattered glass crunching under her combat boots. Her eyes fall upon a black leather jacket. She picks it up tentatively and gives it a once over. She shrugs it on, a perfect fit. She admires herself once again in the mirror, a devilish smile spreading across her face.

"Badass." she says as she runs a hand through her dirty blond hair. 

"Lock up your daughters, cause I am definitely getting laid in this." 

Satisfied with her new badass look Elyza reaches for her bag over by the counter and turns to leave. 

CRASHHHH

The sound of something falling over in the back of the store causes Elyza to raise her gun her gun in the direction of the noise and cocks it.  
Her mouth becomes drier than a desert, her palms begin to sweat nervously her chest rising and falling in broken breaths. Her heart beat is in her ears, beating against her rib cage like a hummingbirds frantic little wings. She knows she should high tale it the fuck out of there but her feet stay planted firm, as still as a statue. She licks her lips, her silver tongue stud skimming over her chapped lips.

"Hey!" she calls out feebly.

No answer. She counts to five when another crashing noise comes from out the back.

"Hey! Come out with your hands up before I blow your fucking brains out." 

The door bursts open and out stumbles a corpse a deep snarl escaping its blood stained mouth. It's the first time Elyza has ever been faced with one. It's a man, or it used to be. 6'5 maybe 6'7, its head is bald and eyes glazed. His rotting body covered in a dark crimson red from its last feed. It cocks its head at Elyza , gurgles another snarl and staggers forward with blood lust.

"FUCK!" Elyza spits and unloads three bullets into the walking corpse. Two in the chest one in the shoulder.

It does not fall, it continues forward. Elyza's eyes go wide and she unloads a further three bullets. BANG BANG BANG.  
It closes in on her, its rotten fleshed arm reaching out for her. She backs away.

" Shit, shit, SHIT!" she unloads the rest of the round and continues to back away from the monster. 

The gun clicks, signalling the end of the clip. She back pedals, her eyes plastered on the walking dead. Her lower backs slams into a table, she's trapped. It lunges for her its arms outstretched and hungry. It's mouth comps at air as it tries to sink into her delicate throat. Elyza pushes back with her forearm, squirming underneath the dead weight.  
It's foul breathe fills Elyza's nose, she can feel the bile rising in her throat. Hot tears fill her eyes, I'm not gonna fucking die she thinks desperately. 

She lets out a defiant scream, "ARGHHHHHHHHHHH" 

She hits the walker in the side of the head with the butt of her pistol. Over and over again she hits it harder and harder. Black blood sputtering over her face. She grits her teeth and grunts as she desperately tries to save herself. The walker goes limp. The bloodthirsty snarls fall short in its throat. Elyza stops, her panicked breath short and quick. It doesn't move. With the last of her Adrenalin fueled strength she pushes it's body off of her. It falls to the ground with a thud. Elyza takes two quick steps away from it waiting for any sign of it still being 'alive.' When it doesn't move she reluctantly takes those two steps forward and kicks it's arm. She jumps back cautiously, expecting it to lunge for her once more. It doesn't.

It takes several more moments before she can fully comprehend what had just happened. With shaky frantic hands she feels over her body for bite marks. To her relief she finds nothing. She bends forward, her hands on her knees as she tries to steady her breathing.  
I'm ok, I'm ok. I'm not gonna die, It's alright.  
Over and over she repeats those words in her head until she fully believes them.  
The sound of an echoing gunshot in the distance snapped her to attention. She reaches for her bad and reloads her gun with shaky hands.

Once reloaded she turns to leave but stops in her tracks as she sees the dead walkers body with new eyes. It's head caved to the side where she had repeatedly hit.  
You've got to be joking me, she thought as she scrunched up her nose at the bits of brain oozing out of its head.  
The brain, such a cliche.

She breathes a sigh of relief and reaches into the front pocket or her bag for her packet of cigarettes and a match. She lights up and breathes a cloud of smoke to calm her still shaking hands. 

" I guess this ain't just gonna blow over then." she says to the dead corpse.  
She leans against the table and stares at the it, letting it sear into her mind. 

There are literally thousands of these bastards out there, and no one is doing a fucking thing about it. Elyza thinks through drags and puffs of cloud.  
Bloody yanks. 

Elyza flicks the butt of her cigarette at the dead walker.  
"Fuck it!" she exclaims and turns to leave, her boots crunching on glass beneath her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She does a double take and stops. Splattered like constellations on her face were spots of black walker blood. She grabs a shirt by her and cleans herself up and smooths out the crinkles in her leather jacket. She looks in the mirror again, she straightens her shoulders and runs her hand through her now blackened blood stained hair. She nods.

"Yeah, definitely badass." she grins at her own lame attempt to make herself feel normal.

She walks out into the abandoned street , the sun blasting down on her. The sound of snarling and shuffling feet catch her attention. She turns to see three or four of them in a herd.

"Well Elyza," she says to herself as she cocks her gun, "time to get to work."


	2. The Living And The Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killing the dead, well that's easy, but what do you do when faced with the living.
> 
> It's been months since Elyza's seen another living soul, so when she stumbles across a group of them, she has to decide, are they friend or are they foe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My second chapter to my Elyza story Lost Souls. 
> 
> Set before she meets Alicia

From the moment she kills her first walker Elyza knows she was born for the end of the world. The passing months are cruel on her and yet every day she spends scavenging for food or killing a walker the stronger she became. She learnt on the go, like the time she'd left the back door ajar and had to jump from a window of a two story house, as a small herd of walkers crashed through downstairs. A lesson hard learnt but none the less, she never made the same mistake twice.

She'd became a master of scavenging, each time she went out her body burned with a welcomed mixture of excitement and a hint of fear. Fear of what was behind the door friend or foe. It was always foe, always a walker. She hadn't run into another living person since the beginning, which suited her just fine. She was free to make decisions for herself, not having to worry about sharing her loot or having to worry about another person being bit. It was her against the rest of the world, quite literally.

During one of her routine scavenges she'd stumbled across what she referees to as her 'Baby'.  
She'd been in the kitchen of a small town house rummaging around in the kitchen cupboards for any scraps of food. But the cupboards were bone bare, this was the fourth house today she'd searched and turned up empty handed. In frustration she slammed shut a cupboard door

"Fuck!" she exclaimed and slammed her fist against the counter top.

Almost immediately a noise from the back yard caught her attention. Through the window above the kitchen sink she peered, her eyes searching for the noises origin. The backyard was bare, the lawn long dead and turned to dust. In the left hand corner of the yard stood a small faded green garden shed. She stared at it, deliberating whether or not to chance opening it. Her curiosity got the better of her.

"Screw it." she said matter of factually and marched over to the shed.

A decision she would forever be grateful for, because behind those squeaky faded green shed doors was her 'baby" , a cherry red 1950 Harley-Davidson Hydra Glide.  
Jackpot. The moment she laid eyes on it she fell in 'love'. When she kicked it to life and the roar of the engine filled her ears she felt invincible as she sped off down the street. She didn't care if it wasn't subtle or practical or even safe, it was exhilarating. There were no speed limits, or police to pull her over, just her and the road.

So she spent her days shooting walkers and riding from house to house on her 'baby', every bit the bad ass in her black leather jacket and dark blue denim jeans, cigarette in her hand and her dirty blonde hair billowing in the wind.

The first time she sees another living person she's out searching for more fuel for her 'baby'. She hears them before she sees them. Two men, one paper stick thin, his arms covered in tattoos, his head shaved like he'd just been spat out from the army. The other looked like he'd eaten an entire whale, he waddled rather than walked. His head like his companion was shaved which made it look like melting marshmallow. Elyza was unsure of where his body and head began. They both carried riffles on their shoulders, quite obviously not fearful of the potential of nearby walkers. 

Elyza ducked behind an abandoned car and watched them gun at the ready. She'd left her shot gun, affectionalety known as "Bertha by her 'baby' around the corner. If she ran she would be exposed, so instead she watched and waited for them to pass.

"Hey Pete!" the chubby one called to his companion who was ahead of him. "Do you mind slowing down?" The man heaved wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. 

"Should've left your fat ass back at camp, Clinton. Keep up or be left behind." The skinny guy shouts over his shoulder. 

"Don't be a dick, Pete." 

"The only reason we bother to bring you, is so that if we do run into a herd they'll go for your fat-ugly looking mutt." 

"Fuck you!"

The skinny guy laughs menacingly. The sound sends shivers down Elyza's spine. She watches as they carelessly banter among themselves. Idiots, she thinks, You've probably gone and alerted the whole fucking neighborhood. 

When they've finally passed her as she hides behind the car she makes to back away down the street, her body low to the ground, her eyes never leaving the two men. She feels the gun being pressed into the back of her head, before she hears the click. 

"Drop your weapon." The voice is deep and quiet. 

The two men ahead of them keep moving unfazed by the sudden turn in events. Elyza slowly puts down her pistol and raises her hands.

"There's no need to...."

"Shut it." her barks, "Move"

"Ok, alright."

"HEY PETE, CLINTON, YOU STUPID ASS MOTHERFUCKERS!" his voice echoes throughout the street.

Elyza turns to face the men, but in pushed forward the gun pressed into the center of her back. The two men down the street turn at the sound of their name and begin to howl in excitement as they see their friend with Elyza.  
They meet each other half way in the middle of the street. Elyza is calm, she does not try to fight them, not yet. Instead she waits for a familiar sound. 

"Well look what we have here. " Pete shoves his gun into the hands of Clinton and walks up to Elyza. "It's been months since I've seen a woman. What are you doing out here all by yourself darling?" he takes a handful of her hair and sniffs it .

Elyza plays along, a small dark grin spreading across her face. "I guess I just got lost, I've been so so lonely." she pouts. 

Pete chuckles and stands to face her front on. " Well I think we can help you with that sweetheart." All the men laugh wickedly. 

ELyza smiles sarcastically, her ears prick up as she hears the faint sound of snarls and she knows its now or never.  
Pete leans in his, dirty bony hands feeling her waist. Elyza drops her smile, her face turning stoic. 

"You fuckers are about to die." 

Pete's smile drops as Elyza's head swings back and headbutts him, making contact with his beak like nose. The crack of bone breaking is loud and sends him staggering back as blood spurts like a fountain from his nose.

"You BITCH!" he screeches as he clutches his nose, his hand turning into a dark crimson red. 

The guy behind her with the gun yanks her by the hair with his spare hand. She grits her teeth and elbows him square in the stomach. He releases her immediately. Swift and sudden she turns to face her captor. He raises the gun to her once again but Elyza grabs at it, twisting his wrist in the process. He drops the gun as he shouts out in pain. Elyza goes for it but is knocked off her feet as slams his fist into her right cheek.  
Elyza can hear the sounds of the corpses closing in as her and her captor struggle on the ground. 

"Shit" she hears from one of the men , followed by several loud Bangs as they shoot at the walkers. 

"They're behind us too!!" 

The guy manages to pin Elyza, his hands around her throat, strangling her like a boa constrictor strangling its prey. Desperately she flounders around in the search in for the gun. His murky grey eyes burn into her sky blues. It's me or him her mind screams. DO IT. Her hand finds the gun and she shoots him. BANG BANG BANG.

She gasps for air, her ears ringing as time seems to slow down. The body goes limp and falls to the side of her dead. She launches herself to her feet and begins shooting at the army or corpses that had them trapped in the middle of the street.

"There's too many of them!" Clinton shouts to Pete, who was covered in his own blood. 

They hadn't realized she was still alive and they're friend laid dead in the street. She made for Pete first and hit him in the back of the head, he fell instantly, dropping to the ground like a fly. She took his gun and spat at him. 

"Sorry, you're really just not my type." She brings her foot back and kicks him in the ribs.

She turns to see Clinton facing her, his face a ghostly pale colour. His eyes wide and terrified as he realizes he is about to die. She almost felt sorry for him, a small part of her humanity wanted to be able to save this guy, he hadn't exactly done anything to her like the other two. But then again he hadn't done anything to help her either.  
She looked beyond him and saw the walkers closing in, time to go. His eyes locked with hers for the briefest moment, pleading. She just shook her head, 

"Sorry mate, I can't save you." a moment more he held her eyes and she ran.

Down a side alley and over a fence, the corpses were slow and easy to evade. Behind her she could hear the rapid spurt of gunfire, and when it stopped a bloody curdling scream tore through the late spring air. She'll never forget it, as long as she lives she'll never forget it. The sound of a man dying is not something easily forgotten. When finally she reaches her 'baby' she kicks the engine to life in a hurry. But even the loud rev of the engine couldn't block out his screams. Elyza looked back, her face a blood stained mess her hair a mess, sticking to the corners of her mouth. For a moment she imagined him being torn apart, their rotting teeth biting into his plump flesh. She shook her head again ridding the images from her mind. 

She drove, fast and without real purpose. She drove until the sun threatened to set, ending the day and sending the world into darkness once again. With tired weary eyes she found a small brick house to hole up in for the night. She went from room to room and found no traces of the living or the dead, just the shell of what used to be someones home. When finally satisfied that the house was secure, Elyza walked aimlessly to the kitchen in search for food. She found a few tin cans and ate the contents greedily.

After when her stomach was satisfied and she'd cleaned herself up, she collapses into a chair by the kitchen table, a bottle of rum in one hand a cigarette in the other. She kicked her boots up on the table and breathed. She stares absently into space. She'd never killed anyone before, she'd killed walkers, but that didn't count because, well they're already dead right? 

"It was me or them,' she says adamantly, "I had no choice. They deserved it." 

But her mind wonders to the look on Clinton's face and the screams of him dying and she knows that it'll haunt her dreams for many nights to come.  
Killing is easy she realizes, living with yourself after is whats hard. 

She raises her bottle to the air, a toast to herself.  
She sighs, "Just another day surviving."


	3. Saving a Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elyza is definitely not a hero. She'd survived this long by avoiding with the living. But when she sees her, a herd of rotten flesh craving corpses in her tow Elyza can't fight the small voice in the back of her mind whispering, "Save her". 
> 
> Will she make it to her in time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the lovely Alicia Clark.

The cool night air nips at Elyza's cheeks as she sits silently atop of the house roof of an abandoned suburban street. She could see the dark outline of the walking dead, as the moon shone down, dimly lighting up the small street. She watches them with a sense of calmness as they shuffle along in search for their next victim. Before she would have tortured herself wondering about who they used to be . But she'd learnt quickly not to dwell on the past. Before doesn't matter, they are what they are, and she is what she is. We're all killers. 

But on nights like these when the moon and the stars burnt brightly from above, she liked to find a rooftop or anything high enough and just watch. She'd spend hours up their looking down upon hell and then looking to the heavens above. The stars looked different here, the galaxies swirled in the wrong direction and the stars she'd grown up with back home in Australia seemed to have become lost in avast ocean of light. 

They were equally as hypnotizing though and they burnt just as bright as the ones she'd grown up with. As a kid she used to wonder about far away planets and of alternative universes. Tonight she found herself day dreaming about a different world, one preferably where people stay dead and don't try to eat you alive.  
She smiles to herself a small and sad one. 

In another lifetime I could have been a writer, an artist, maybe even have had a family to love.  
Her smile begins to fade, she bites the insides of her cheeks.  
In this lifetime, I'm in the fucking middle of the end of the world, fighting an unwinnable war.

She sighs deeply and looks back down at the street below. A walker stands still in the middle of the street and cocks its head. Instinctively she grabs for her gun. It sniffs the night air and snarls before continuing its neverending quest for flesh.  
This is the world I live in, she thinks as she watches the walker. 

"There's nothing good left in this world." she says quietly to the moon and the stars.

"We're all monsters now."

The next day she woke up and went through her usual morning routine. Breakfast was a can of tinned peaches and a shot of rum to wake her up. She set out on her 'baby' with her shotgun 'Bertha' saddled to her back, in search for more supplies. Every day was the same. Find food, kill walkers, find fuel, kill walkers. The rush never seemed to satisfy her anymore. Her days had blurred into weeks which had blurred into months, which blurred altogether until she had given up counting.

By mid afternoon she was ready to call it a day and head back to base. Her bags were only half full today, finding edible food was becoming increasingly harder and harder. All was quiet as the sun began to fall, turning the sky into a pallet of orange. As she finished saddling her 'baby' the sound of nearby gunshots caught her attention.  
Wasting no time Elyza jumps on her bike and goes to kick the engine to life.

Nothing. The familiar roar of the engine fails to fill her ears. She kicks again.  
It sputters and spits but refuses to come to life.

"Motherfucker!" she curses aloud. 

The bike begins to spout steam, the heat from the LA sun had almost fried the bike. With a sense of urgency Elyza searches for her water bottle in her bag. Hastily she uncaps it and begins to fill the bike with water. The gun shots have stopped she realises as her bike chugs her water greedily.  
A voice breaks the silence as it shouts,

"RUN, ALICIA RUN!"

It's almost like out of a movie, Elyza jumps on her bike as a girl hobbles down the intersection ahead with a wooden bat in one hand and a large herd of walkers in tow. Even from this distance Elyza can tell she's beautiful. She cries out desperately as she tries to escape them. The girl and the herd move out of Elyza's view around the corner. She kicks again and her 'baby' roars.

She revs the engine and approaches the intersection. She looks to her left, towards the girl and the walkers and looks to her right. No one to come to her rescue.  
She revs again. Something seemed to pull at her. Her head was telling her to keep moving, be smart. Nothing good can come of this.  
But like a whisper in the back of her mind, a small soft voice told her, "Save her."  
She closes her eyes and listens.

"Just keep, going Lyz, its none of your concern. Just keep going. Don't be a hero, don't be a hero, don't be a fucking hero."

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Elyza's eyes snap open as the girls panicked voice sends chills down her spine. She takes off towards the walkers and the girl, her hair blowing into her eyes. She swerves past cars and shoots at the dead. She can't see her through the herd and she can't hear her over the roar in her ears. For a moment Elyza thinks she's too late, for a moment a sickening feeling settles in the pit of her stomach. 

But then she sees the mystery girl and catches her breathe. She rides ahead of her, around the walkers a little way down the street. She skids to a halt and marches towards the snarling corpses. 

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

She shoots at the ones closest to the girl. The girl's eyes go wide as she feels the whizzing of the bullets brush past her hair and cheeks.  
The girls face is a mirror of terror and yet Elyza cannot believe how ridiculously hot she is.

"Move it along princess!" she shouts as she shoots another corpse, its head exploding across the street. 

A cocky grin spreads across Elyza's face. This was the most action she'd had in a long time.  
When finally the girl reaches Elyza they make a break for her bike.

Without hesitation the two girls jump on Elyza's bike. Alicia's arms hold on to Elyza's waist. A jolt is sent through her body and her cocky grin spreads from ear to ear.

"Come on, Go, go!." Alicia urges.

Elyza starts the engine, "Hold on tight beautiful." Elyza chuckles.

They tear off down the street, leaving the herd of rotting dead behind them.

"Where are you taking me?" Alicia shouts when they're a few blocks over, her breath hot against Elyza's neck.

"What?" Elyza shouts back

"I said where are you taking me?"

" Spend a night at my house and I'll take you straight to heaven, sweet cheeks." Elyza teases.

Alicia goes stiff, sudden realization dawning on her. She'd just accepted a ride from a complete stranger, with no idea of their intention. For all she knew this woman was a gang banger. 

'Pullover!" she demands

"My place is just..."

"Pullover NOW!"

Confused Elyza pulls over to the side and cuts the engine.

Alicia staggers off of the bike and backs away from Elyza.

Elyza cocks her head at her, finally able to completely take the girl in. She was of slim build, her hair a light wavy brown. Lips, god those lips, they were full and plump. Her face heart shaped with the highest of cheekbones.  
She wore a black singlet with a faded flannelette shirt, accompanied by legs for days that wore denim shorts.  
But it was the eyes that made Elyza weak at the knees. Those eyes the colour of the most alluring emerald green Elyza had ever seen. Looking in them now she felt herself begin to fall into their depths. They seemed familiar liked she'd stared into those pools of green before, how intoxicating they were. 

With great effort Elyza brought herself back to reality.

"What are you doing?" Elyza asks a single brow raised in question.

"Uh, thanks for saving me, but I really need to be getting back to my family." Alicia began to back away her hand grasping firmly onto her baseball bat.

"Wait," Elyza kicks down the stand of her bike and follows, "You can't go back." Alicia continues to hobble away.  
"Hey!" Elyza grabs at Alicia's elbow and yanks her back.

Alicia turns and swings wildly at Elyza. Elyza barely manages to doge the bat. She takes several paces back as Alicia threatens to swing again.

"Hey woah, woah, woah. Take it easy princess. Jesus is this how you repay someone who just saved your life?" Elyza raises both her hands in surrender.

"Touch me again and I will take out your knee caps."

Elyza cant help it, she laughs. She can't remember the last time she had laughed full heatedly, but once she started she couldn't stop. This is insane she thought, here I am in the middle of the street, hands in the air. The last time something like this happened she'd just been caught in bed with a 'friend' and chased down the street by her bat shit crazy boyfriend. And now here she stood, hands in the air being threatened by a hotty she'd just saved in the middle of a fucking apocalypse . Well at least she was wearing pants this time.

"I'm serious." Alicia warned.

Elyza wiped tears away from her eyes as she tried to contain herself.  
"I know you are Princess."

Frustrated by Elyza's hysterical laughing Alicia began to limp away.

"No wait really. Please, I'm sorry."

Alicia turned back around her face the image of a perfect storm.  
Elyza's laughing had finally stopped and her face too grew serious.

"You can barely walk as it is, you won't make it down the end of the street, let alone back to where ever your family is."

"Well I'm not going back to you and your band of gang bangers."

"Gang bangers?!" Elyza exclaimed in confusion " Sweety I'm Australian not a gang banger."

"Well for all I know you are." Alicia raises her chin in defiance

"Look, I've been on my own since the beginning of this shit storm. There's no merry band of gang bangers around the corner. Ok?  
I was just trying to flirt with you that's all." Elyza blushes slightly.

"Flirt with me?" Alicia is stunned. "There are dead things ripping other people apart and you want flirt?"

"Only with beautiful girls like you." Elyza winks, a small grin pulling at the corner of her mouth.

Alicia shakes her head in frustration. "First of all, you're insufferable. And second of all, I'm not into girls."

Elyza grins mischievously, "You, straight? Yeah sure."

Alicia's jaw flexes her, "I am not having this conversation with you."

Elyza chuckles. "Look," she says eyes softening, "in all seriousness, it's getting dark, you can't walk and I don't know about you but, I don't feel like being out in the open in the dark. I've made camp just a few blocks over, you're welcome to stay the night. Tomorrow I'll help you get back to your people and we'll go our separate ways. Alright?"

Alicia looks Elyza in the eyes, trying to find any hint of dishonesty. Trusting a stranger could get her killed. But then again, being stuck out here, will definitely get her killed. There really were no other options. Alicia slumps her shoulders in exhaustion. Her adrenaline leaving her body and the pain of her ankle finally shooting throug her leg

"Ok." she says reluctantly.

"Ok." Elyza grins and begins to walk to back to her 'baby', Alicia limping in tow. She jumps on her bike and brings the engine to life. 

"Well?" she says to Alicia as she stares at her on the bike.

"Who are you?" Alicia says in disbelief

"Elyza. Elyza Lex." she says and extends her hand. Alicia stares at it for half a second before taking Elyza's hand in hers. 

"Alicia Clark."

She gets on the bike and puts her hands on Elyza's waist. Elyza smiles, "Hold on tight Princess, wouldn't want you to fall off."

Alicia rolls her eyes as they take off once more.  
With those hands around her waist, Elyza had never felt so alive in her entire life.


	4. The Things We Are Afraid Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even a day together and they're already arguing. Alicia, quick witted and the master of sass, keeps the blonde Australian beauty on her toes. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Elyza flirts shamelessly with Alicia, despite her early insistence of being straight.
> 
> Maybe they'll kill each other before the dead get their chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing these two fighting. I think alot of people write Alicia to be this helpless damsel in distress and they forget that she's the Queen of sass and not afraid to speak her mind.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this.

The sun had all but set when Elyza and Alicia pulled into the driveway of Elyza's base. Elyza cut the engine and helped Alicia inside.

"I'd say mind the mess, but I don't plan on sticking around here too long." Elyza says earnestly as she places Alicia on the couch.

Alicia sighs heavily as Elyza scrambles to bring a kitchen chair to prop up Alicia's now completely black and blue swollen ankle.

"Ouch!" Alicia grimaces in pain her nose scrunching together.

"Sorry." Elyza smiles sympathetically.

Alicia closes her eyes and rubs both her knees. 

"It's fine." she says through gritted teeth, trying to breathe through the pain.

Elyza raises her eyebrows. "Anything else I can get you Princess, a hot meal, an ice pack. Or maybe I should fluff your pillows and turn on a movie." 

Alicia looks up to Elyza and meets her sky blue eyes, her face softens and she breathes out apologetically, "I'm sorry, it's just..." Alicia stops and winces as a jolt of pain runs right up her leg. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Elyza agrees and falls into the armchair opposite Alicia. The room goes silent as both of them simply just be. Elyza leans back and looks to the ceiling exhausted from the days dangerous antics.

A few moments longer and Elyza chances a glance at Alicia. She's stunned to find Alicia holding of all things, a phone in her hands. Elyza's mouth opens astonished. How can she just be sitting there as if she'd not nearly died today? Elyza thought in disbelief.  
Sensing a pair of eyes on her Alicia looks up from her screen.

"Can I help you?" she asks sarcastically.

Elyza scoffs and stands, "You realise, you nearly died today, right?"

"Yeah and?" Alicia brushes off the comment as if it was nothing.

"And," Elyza presses, "you're siting here on a bloody phone, like what happened today was nothing."

Alicia puts her phone down and focuses all of her frustration on Elyza. "I didn't ask for your help today, you don't know a thing about me. Don't sit there looking down at me like I'm some week damsel in distress."

"Funny, cause I distinctively remember you screaming "somebody help me". If I hadn't have come along when I did, you'd be roadkill Princess."

"Stop calling me that!"

"You can't tell me that today didn't scare the shit out of you. I saw the look on your face." Elyza points to Alicia accusingly.

"Why does it matter? What, are we gonna sit down braid each others hair and talk about our feelings? Cause I'll take a hard pass thanks." 

This girl was absolutely infuriating, sarcastic and quick witted. Elyza had all but known her less than a day and already they were arguing. Yet despite herself Elyza found herself even more attracted to the girl. Elyza ran her fingers through her hair and looked away, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit of a bitch?" Elyza asks playfully. She turns to face Alicia once more her eyes smoldering.

"Has anyone told YOU, that you're kind of an ass?" Alicia counters.

"Oh more times than I can count. But enough about my fine ass, how about something to eat?" Elyza grins wickedly.

Alicia rolls her eyes and folds her arms against her chest, avoiding looking at Elyza.

"I'll take that as a yes." Elyza walks out of the lounge room and into the kitchen.

She comes back with an armful of canned food, a bottle of rum and two glasses. She opens a can of corn for Alicia and hands it to her. She stares at it.

"Oh come on, just take it. I seek peace." 

Alicia looks at Elyza's smiling face and her anger begins to dissolve, replaced by a mean grumbling moan, deep from within her stomach . She takes the can.

"Thank you." She says softly and begins to stuff her face.

"No problem Princess." Elyza winks and waits for Alicia's reaction, but she's too busy scoffing down her food to argue.

Elyza goes back over to the armchair and begins to eat her dinner, a small can of cold spaghetti. She despised every mouthful of the slimy worm like pasta. But she forced it down. Food is food and you can't afford to be picky at the end of the world. She pours herself a glass of rum and sips it between mouthfuls. She offers Alicia a glass but she politely declines. Elyza shrugs and refills her glass.

"So," Elyza breaks the silence, "how did that happen?" Elyza points to Alicia's swollen ankle.

"I jumped from a fire escape." Alicia looks down at her lap, as she recalls the days events.  
"My family and I got overrun searching a shop. I went upstairs to the apartment above with my brother and .." She swallows hard. "All hell broke loose, he told me to jump and run. I don't even know..." She cut herself off, afraid of saying the words, as if saying them would make them real. Sensing her distress Elyza spoke up,

"Hey, look at me." Alicia hesitates but gives in and looks to Elyza. Her deep emerald, sea green eyes brimming with tears. Something inside of Elyza tugs at her from within. It was as if she'd fallen inot those very eyes before. She swallows and continues, "We'll find them."

Elyza didn't say that Alicia's family was going to be okay or that she was sure they would make it. No she wouldn't lie to her like she was some dumb kid. Elyza knew that Alicia was fully aware of the probability of her family being dead. But she'd promised to take her back to them, and Elyza always kept her word. So she said that they would find them, but alive or not was entirely up to chance. Or even worse they had become the walking dead. If that was the case Elyza would do what she does best, kill.

Alicia nods and bites her bottom lip, "I know." 

Elyza gulped down the last of her glass of rum and moved her chair closer.

"How about I take a look at your ankle? I think I've got some medical stuff somewhere." She stood from her chair and disappeared in search for bandages. 

She returned triumphant with a hanful of bandages, "Right lets fix ya up then." she declared.

With tentive fingers Elyza reaches out for Alicia's ankle. Her fingertips brushed against Alicia's swollen skin. She flinches violently. Elyza snaps her hands back in shock.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Alicia grimaces, her eyes wide and desperate.

"Of course I do." Elyza reassures and reaches for Alicia again. "I'm a professional." She begins to wrap Alicia's ankle, as gently as possible.

"What are you a nurse or something?" Alicia asks as she watches Elyza wrap her ankle.

"God no!" Elyza exclaims. "Just been in the emergency room enough times to have picked up a few tricks of the trade."

"What?! I thought you said you were a professional?" Alicia gasps.

Elyza chuckles, "Relax, sweet cheeks. See all done." Elyza looks down at Alicia's ankle pleased with her handy work.  
"No harm no foul. Here have a drink, I think after the day you've had you've deserved it." 

Elyza fills up both their cups and offers one to Alicia. This time she takes it, to exhausted to argue.

"Cheers." Elyza clinks her glass against Alicia's and they both drink.

Elyza watches Alicia bring the glass to her lips and scrunches her face together as the rum slides down her throat. It was very intimate, the way she looked at her. Alicia met Elyza's eyes and blushed. But she would swear it was the rum that turned her cheeks a light shade of pink. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" her voice came out almost like a whisper. Uncertain and innocent.

She doesn't know, which catches Elyza off guard. She'd met a million girls who used their looks to bend the wills of men and women alike. Yet there she sat, like she'd been torn from a page of some magazine and she didn't know.  
"Because. You are beautiful." Elyza says it like its the most obvious thing in the world, like saying the grass is green, or the earth orbits the sun. Elyza looks at Alicia, no she sees her. Hidden behind her wall of sarcasm and witty remarks, she sees Alicia and it frightens the American beauty.  
Alicia looks away unsure of how to respond so she chucks back the rest of her drink.  
Elyza smiles and shakes her head and fills Alicia's cup once more.

Eager to change the subject Alicia breaks the awkward silence. "Have you really been alone this entire time?

"You're full of questions aren't you?" Elyza tactfully evades the question. Alicia gives her a look and Elyza sighs.  
"Fine, yes I've been alone since the beginning. It's better that way."

"Aren't you scared?" 

Elyza considers this, mulls it over as she takes another sip of her drink.  
She thinks about the first time she killed a walker, she had been frightened then, but then she thought of the all the other times she'd killed walkers and had felt nothing.  
She thought of the time she'd killed those three men, though she'd only pulled the trigger on one of them, she'd sentenced the other two to death. She had been frightened then. And then she remembered when she'd thought she had been too late in saving Alicia. The way her stomach dropped and her breath caught in her throat. Even now with the way Alicia looked at Elyza, the no bullshit way she spoke to her. It was truly terrifying, this feeling.

"The dead don't scare me Princess, the living do." Understanding flashes through Alicia's eyes and they both finish off their drinks eagerly.

Alicia sighs, "It's late, I should get some sleep. Big day ahead of us tomorrow." she leans forward and Elyza reaches out her hand to help her up.

"Yeah, of course.There's a bedroom just down the hall, first door on your left."

"Thank's." Alicia offers a polite smile as Elyza helps her down the hall. 

When they reach the door Elyza's hand lingers briefly on the small of Alicia's back.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight then."

Elyza's head swirls, a sense of Deja vu washing over her. Her face becomes flustered as the room begin to spin.

"Are you ok?" Alicia asks a look of concern washing over her face

Elyza shakes her head, "Yeah no fine. Good night Princess." 

Alicia closes the door. She lingers, her hand presses against the door, head still swirling as Alicia's words echo in her head. She closes her eyes and breathes.

"Get it together Elyza." she whispers to herself before walking away.

She walks back into the lounge room and falls down into the couch. Her forearm rests against her closed eyes. She tosses and turns trying to find a comfortable position. One minute she's too hot so she strips down to her underwear. But then she'd too cold, so she finds a sheet to cover herself. Her body begs for sleep to come, her eyes are heavy with exhaustion and her arms and legs ached liked she'd run a marathon. Try as she may Elyza does not sleep that night, her mind is a million life times away.

 

"


	5. Her Head and Her Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't get attached, it's Elyza's number one rule. But when Alicia smiles like that, Elyza can't think straight (Pun intended).  
> Alicia is home now, back behind the safety of the walls. Every fibre in Elyza's body tells her to leave, but Alicia tells her to stay.  
> Which will win, her head or her heart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took me a while to write, let me know what you guys think.

When Alicia woke the morning sun had begun pour through the bedroom window, saturating bland white walls and ceiling with rays of soft yellow. For the briefest of moments she did not know where she was. She sat in the unfamiliar bed, wiping away the lingering sleep in her emerald green eyes. She rips back the sheets and swings her legs off the bed. A sharp pain shoots up her leg and she hisses. Alicia looks down at her bandaged ankle and all at once the previous days events come crashing down on her. Her family, she had to get back to them. She stands and hops in place, as she tries to keep the weight off her ankle. She reaches for the bed post and hobbles to the bedroom door.

She hesitates before opening the door, her hand hovering over the handle. When she had gone to bed last night she had left on the other side of the door a smart mouthed, gun wielding, leather clad girl. No girl was most definitely not what Elyza Lex was. She was a woman, a bad ass one at that. She had rode in one her motorbike like something out of a movie and saved her . She had been grateful at first but mere hours later and they had already begun arguing and Alicia began to think she would have preferred to have tried her luck with the walkers than have to bare that insufferable cocky grin Elyza got on her face when winding her up.

It had taken food and rum for Alicia to get a proper read on Elyza. She saw it when Elyza thought she wasn't looking, she saw the way her shoulders slumped and the way her brows pulled together when they shut, kind of like she was trying to forget but never being able to escape whatever was going through her head. It scared her in all honesty, what had she seen to have looked like that? What had she done? So young, yet in that moment Elyza seemed to gain ten years. Alicia could not begin to imagine it. To have been on her own, with no one to look out for her. No one to help survive, yet she had, despite the odds the Australian had. Alicia had always had her family, though dysfunctional at the best of times she could not imagine having to live through this without them.

Alicia took a deep breath counted to three and slowly opened the bedroom door to the hall. It creaked, a high pitch kind of creak that seemed to fill the empty house. For the briefest of moments she waited before walking out. She listened for any sign of danger, but nothing came. She made her way to the lounge room, expecting Elyza to have been lounged on the couch sleeping. Instead the room was empty and hanging on the side of the couch laid a crumpled up white sheet. She heard a slight cluttering sound in the direction of the kitchen and decided to follow the noise.

"Elyza." her voice was unsure, scared to turn the corner. She held her breath.

"Yeah in here." Elyza's husky Australian accent was a welcomed sound. Alicia exhaled in relief.

She turned the corner and entered the kitchen. The morning sun filled the room, blinding her upon entering. She squinted, Elyza sat at the kitchen table, a whole arrange of weapons spread in front of her. Elyza had been awake for most of the night, she'd tried sitting on top of the roof when it became apparent that she would not be sleeping. But she had become fearful of a walker attack whilst Alicia slept peacefully downstairs. So she climbed down from her perch from above and had organised all her supplies in bags and when that was finished had started cleaning her weapons. Her eyes were heavy, but her hands moved in muscle memory. She could do this blindfolded.

"Have you slept?" Alicia asks in concern. She sees the dark circles under her eyes and the way they drooped made her worry about her ability to concentrate for they day.

"Nope." Elyza didn't elaborate, instead she continued meddling and cleaning with her guns.

"Elyza!" Alicia chastised.

"Yes Princess." still she didn't look to Alicia.

"How are you meant to drive? Your eyes are practically hanging out of your head."

"It's fine. You worry to much. Besides not the first time I've not slept."

Alicia lent against the counter for support, her arms folded across her chest. "Look, I need to know I can rely on you to have my back out there. I need to know that if shit goes down , you can perform."

Elyza snaps her head up, finally looking at Alicia. She looks her dead in the eyes, and swallows. Pools of emerald green, enticing and wild. Her head spins, though she'd swear it was from the lack of sleep. Elyza shakes her head and retorts "Can you even shoot a gun sweet cheeks?"

Alicia looks down and bites her lip. "Thought not." Elyza takes her pistol and walks over to Alicia. 

"Here." She offers the gun to Alicia. Alicia looks to the gun and then searches Elyza's face.

"What's this for, I have a bat." 

Elyza snorts, " As much as I appreciate the stealth approach you have going on, and believe me when I say it's a major turn on," Alicia rolls her eyes in annoyance and squirms. ELyza smiles cockily. "I'd feel safer knowing you had a gun to watch my back." her eyes soften in sincerity. Alicia slowly unfolds her arms from her chest and takes the gun.

"Here stand like this." Elyza takes Alicia by the shoulders and moves her to adjust her stance. Her hands hover over Alicia's waist,"Can I?" Elyza asks sheepishly. Alicia nods. Elyza moves her hands to Alicia's waist, her touch feather light. Alicia shivers and Elyza grins cockily. "Feet here, bend your knees a bit." Elyza goes over how hold the gun, how to aim, when to shoot. "That's it."

"Yeah in theory." Alicia scoffs.

"Aim for the head." Elyza offers

"No shit." 

Elyza smiles as Alicia turns around. They are incredibly close , a small space is all that separated them. Elyza looks down at Alicia's lips, full and plump and she licks her lips. She looks back up to meet Alicia's emerald eyes. Elyza's heart beats hard against her chest.

"We should go." Alicia looks down and turns ending the moment.

Elyza clears her throat and blinks, " Are you gonna me alright on that ankle?"

"I'll be fine."

Elyza sighs and runs a hand through her golden locks, "Alright then, lets go."

They'd retraced their steps back to the small shop that Alicia and her family were raiding when they were overrun by walkers in the upstairs apartment. Elyza kicks the stand on her bike and both women stand outside the building and listen. Alicia looks up the the apartment windows above and swallows hard. Please don't be dead, is all Alicia can think. Her face is drained of colour, she tries to swallow but her mouth is dry. Elyza watches the back of Alicia's head as she leans against her 'baby'. From her jean pocket she pulls out her pack of cigarettes and lights one. She exhales the cloud of smoke and joins Alicia. 

Alicia turns her head and scrunches her nose in disgust and waves away the invasive cloud of smoke. Elyza doesn't take the hint and so takes another drag.

"You know, smoking gives you cancer right?"

Elyza raises her eyebrows in mock surprise. "You're shitting me!" Elyza breathes out another toxic cloud. "I had no bloody idea."

Alicia looks away and rolls her eyes. Elyza smirks and flicks her cigarette to the ground and stomps it out. " Ready?"  
Alica simply nods and touches the pistol tucked into the side of her shorts. She twirls her bat before walking into the store.

The shop was turned upside down, shelves knocked over, glass from smashed windows scattered across the floor. The infamous L.A heat had turned the building into a hot foul smelling oven. Elyza assessed the room for any signs of danger, her shotgun 'Bertha' at the ready. Elyza looks over to Alicia and meets her eyes, she motions her head for her to follow. They smell them before they see them. They round the corner and are hit by a wall of the most indescribable foul odor either had ever smelt in their lives. Three dead walkers lay before them, bit of them splattered around them in a pool of black blood. Empty bullet cases beside them. A dark cloud of flies swarming the rotting meat bags on the floor. Elyza heaves and uses her jacket to shield herself from the stench.

"That's fucked." her voice is muffled and her eyes water.

Alicia can feel the bile from her stomach rise and sit in the back of her throat. One of the bodies is fresh its face down, it looked as if it hadn't been part of the undead for long. Her eyes widen it's hair the same ruffled dark hair as Nicks. Is that what he was wearing yesterday? She scrambles to recall what her brother had been wearing the day before, but comes up short. Alicia hobbles forward.

"Alicia?" Elyza tries to reach for her but Alicia shakes her off.

Alicia reaches down to the dead corpse and pushes the dead body over, Elyza aims her gun at its head half expecting it to reanimate and lunge for Alicia's throat. It's not him. She's never felt so relieved in her life. She lets out a exasperated breathe. 

"What the fuck are you doing!" Elyza asks astounded, by Alicia's stupidity.

Alicia regathers herself and turns to the pissed of Australian.  
She shrugs, " Not like it was gonna magically come back to life, pretty sure that's it's brains over there." 

"Let me rephrase the question. Why the fuck would you WANT to touch that nasty smelly motherfucker." Elyza covers her nose again.

Alicia looks back to the dead walker. It's not him. She hobbles past Elyza her hands shaking and damp with swaet, "I thought it was my brother."

 

Downstairs brought no signs of Alicia's family, upstairs they found more fallen corpses, two of which were not completely dead yet, so Elyza took her knife from her belt and swiftly plunged it into their skulls, silencing them forever.

"They're not here. Thank God." Alicia says as she finishes searching the apartment.

"Course they're not." Elyza says matter of factly, "Knew they wouldn't be."

Alicia gives Elyza a small smile of gratitude. "Thank you." Alicia says unexpectedly. 

Elyza half smiles, "Don't thank me yet Princess, we've still gotta find you're family."

Alicia nods, "But still. Thank you." Alicia meets Elyza's sky blue eyes. 

Elyza swallows hard and forces herself to look away before she drowns in those emerald green eyes.

"Uh, so where to now then?" Elyza runs her hand threw her hair.

"Home, I guess."

Elyza had heard of small neighborhoods fortifying themselves behind fences, but she had never stumbled into one. The guard at the gate recognized Alicia and shouted for the gate to open. It was as if they'd entered another world. Going down those streets, children laughed and played, people waved to Alicia, as if there weren't walking corpses just outside who would gladly tear everyone open. This is insane, Elyza thinks to herself. 

The moment Elyza had pulled up out from of Alicia's house, Alicia's mother came bursting out of the front door.

"LICIA!" A blonde haired woman calls to Alicia

"MUM!"

The mother and daughter met halfway and gripped each other tightly. Her mother kissed her forehead and weeped.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm fine mum, calm down."  
The front door swings open again and more people come pouring out and they hug her tightly too. There's tears and oddly enough laughing too. It truly was a beautiful scene. But Elyza was no apart of it. Instead she stood idly and out of place on the curb. She takes another cigarette from her pack and lights up once more.

Alicia was bombarded with questions.

"Where have you been?" One asked

'How'd you escape?" Another said

"What happened to your ankle?" her mother worried

"Guys can you give me room to breathe." Alicia rolls her eyes, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"You're right." her mother interrupts. "Everyone inside." The family turns to head inside.

"No mum wait." Alicia pulls at her mothers hand.

"There's someone I want you to meet."  
Alicia's mother suddenly becomes aware of the stranger standing out the front of her home.  
Alicia drags her mother to meet Elyza. 

"Mum this Elyza, she's the one who saved me from being lunch meat."

Elyza hurriedly flicks the cigarette and breathes the cloud of smoke over her shoulder. She coughs, "Sorry" she grins lazily, "Names Elyza Lex." She offers her hand to the mother. The mother smiles tight lipped and shakes Elyza's hand.

"Madison Clark."

Madison regarded Elyza with caution. Her eye brows knitted together in disapproval just like Alicia had earlier. Like mother like daughter.

Elyza nods respectfully.

"Thank you for saving my daughter." 

"Entirely my pleasure." Elyza winks at Alicia.  
Madison looks at her daughter in question, Alicia simply shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

An awkward silence fills the air and Elyza kicks the ground absentmindedly her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket.

"Yeah so," Elyza clears her throat and runs her hand through her hair nervously. "Um, I should be heading off." She points her thumb to her bike.

"What? No." Alicia protests To Elyza's surprise. "Mum, we should at least invite her in to eat. She did save me."

Madison open her mouth visibly uncomfortable at the notion. Sensing this Elyza shakes her head, "Oh no it's fine really..."

"Nonsense." A deep voice interrupts. A tall dark tanned man wraps an arm around Madison's shoulders. Not Alicia's dad, Elyza deducts. Step dad most likely.

'Travis Manawa." The man reaches out with his spare hand and shakes Elyza's hand firmly.

"Elyza Lex."

"Why don't you come in for lunch. It's the least we can do, right honey." Travis nudges Madison.

Madison turns to Alicia, her green eyes determined. "Yes," Madison smiles politely, "It's the least we can do."

Elyza opens her mouth to decline but Alicia beats her to the punch, "Just, shut up and come inside, would you."

Elyza clamps shut her mouth and lets out a long winded sigh, "Yeah alright."  
Alicia smiles triumphantly. "Just for a minute though."

They walk towards the front door, Alicia leaning into Madison for support.

Elyza's insides begin to crawl as she makes her way to the front door. She digs her nails into the palms of her hands and bites the inside of her cheeks until she can taste a familiar metallic taste of her own blood. Every nerve in her body tells her to run, tells her that entering the threshold was a horrible idea. Don't get attached. She'd lived by those words most of her life. 

Elyza's mind screams, begs for her to turn away and never look back, but then Alicia looks over her shoulder and smiles. It's a simple kind of smile, all lips no teeth, but it's warm and welcoming and beautiful. Elyza's mind a perfect storm mere seconds ago now smooth sailings once again. Her heart beat slows to a steady pace and somehow Elyza knows everything is going to be ok. I can trust her, Elyza's mind whispers.

They reach the front door, Alicia and Madison disappear inside. Elyza hesitates.

"After you." Travis gestures.

Elyza straightens and steps forward.  


She mumbles, "I need a fucking drink for this shit."

"What was that?" Travis asks inquisitively

"Arh, I said do you have anything to drink?"

"Yes of course plenty of water. This way." Travis leads the way.

"Yeah, great!" Elyza fakes enthusiasm. 

Everyones in the lounge, it's overcrowded and stuffy. Alicia sits on a small couch as her mother and another woman fuss over her ankle.

"It's fine." Alicia hisses in annoyance to her mother.

"Charming as ever little sister." a wild haired beady eyed looking guy teases.

"Shut it Nick." Alicia counters, but her eyes are soft and they glisten slightly at the sight of her brother safe.

"I'm glad you're ok." he puts a hand on her shoulder and she pats it.

"Me too." Alicia looks over to ELyza and smiles. 

Elyza stands awkwardly, her usual cocky self had seemed to have disappeared, well at least for the time being.

"Why don't you take a seat." Travis smiles "I'll get you that drink."

Elyza nods all eyes on her now. She takes a seat opposite Alicia

She clasps her hands in her own and bounces her left leg nervously.

"So are you the one who saved my sister?" Nick eyes her suspiciously.

Elyza stops bouncing her leg and sits upright, "Yeah, that would be me."

"What's your deal then?" Nick queries.

"Nick!" His mother chastises.

"Feel free to ignore him." Alicia leans forward towards Elyza. "I do."

"It's fine. I'm a stranger in his home, he's got a right to be skeptical." Elyza sighs.

Travis returns with a bottle of water and Elyza takes it with a simple "Thank you"

"So where are you from then?" A voice from the back speaks up. The guy is scrawny, with light tanned skin and jet black hair tucked behind his ears. His presence seemed to be over looked by everyone in the room.

"I've been moving around a lot, I don't stay in one place too long." Elyza replies

"Wait." The woman sitting beside Elyza interrupts. She's petite and pretty in an obvious kind of way, with long brown hair and brown eyes and tanned skin. But her face is worn and etched with a silent sadness.  
"You're alone?" She says in disbelief

"Yeah" Elyza shrugs casually.

"What about your family?" Madison asks her eyes sympathetic.

"Never had one. Grew up in foster care in Australia. Moved here straight after I graduated high school. Been more or less by myself." 

"Oh. Well I'm sorry to hear that." Madison says gently.

"No big deal, it's better that way." 

Madison gives an unconvinced look and Elyza shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

"That your bike out there?" Nick strolls over to the front window and looks at her 'baby'.

Her face lights up with pride, "Yeah that's my baby."

Nick lets out a whistle. "Mind if I take a look."

Elyza gives him a once over, contemplating whether or not to let the greasy haired boy near her pride and joy.

"Alright." Elyza huffs, "Just don't touch her."

Nick gives a devilish smile. Elyza turns to Alicia in question.

"I'll wait in here." Alicia reassures.

Elyza offers a small smile and turns to lead the way to her 'baby'.

 

They stand out the front of the house, Elyza, Travis, Nick and Chris, admiring her sweet ride.

"It's a 1950 Harley Davidson Hydra Glide." Elyza boasts to Travis her arms folded across her chest.

"Where'd you find it?" he asks impressed.

"In a garden shed. Keys and everything."

Travis nods and circles the bike. Nick inches closer and reaches out tentatively for the handle bar.

"HEY!" Elyza warns, "No touching."

Nick raises both his hands in surrender, "Ok, ok, my bad."

Elyza glares and takes a protective step closer to her 'baby'

"So where are you off to after this then?" Travis asks Elyza.

"Not sure," she answers honestly. "Just pick a place, clear it out and stay a few nights."

Travis furrows his bushy eyebrows and strokes his chin. "You know the community here is a safe environment. We look after each other. You should consider sticking around."

The hairs on the back of Elyza's neck and arms stand. Elyza swallows and shakes her head, avoiding Travis's eyes.  
"I can't."

Travis moves closer, "Look I don't know what you've been through out there. But I do know that running will only get you so far.Things are only getting worse ."

Elyza runs her hands through her hair in frustration, "I think I'll take my chances."

"The offer still stands. There's a vacant house one block over you can stay in. Back up generator should still be in good shape. A working shower, food and shelter." 

"Look, you don't owe me anything." Elyza shakes her head and leans against her bike.

Travis chuckles, "You really have been alone this whole time haven't you?"  
Elyza stares blankly at the man before her. 

Travis clears his throat, "We're good people Elyza." he looks to the Nick and Chris and then back to the house. Elyza looks over her shoulder and sees Alicia sitting by the front window watching them intently. Her cheeks begin to warm and she looks away guiltily.

"Just think about it." Travis catches Elyza's eyes, she holds his gaze. Searching for any signs insincerity and finds none. She purses her lips and offers a final nod.  
It wasn't a yes, or a no. 

 

They head back into the house, Chris and Elyza debating the pro's and cons of having such a loud vehicle. 

"It's impractical." he implores.

"Who cares about impracticability, I look fucking bad ass." Elyza smirks.

"Glad to see you two getting along." Alicia remarks.

Elyza turns to face her sitting by the front window. The guys disappear into various corners of the house leaving them alone. Elyza plops down effortlessly beside her. Their shoulders touching. Alicia moves slightly away and Elyza's stomach drops in disappointment.

"How's your ankle?" Elyza asks.

"Hurts." Alicia rotates it slightly and grimaces.

They sit quietly together staring out the window absentmindedly. Neither of them feeling the need to talk, they were simply happy to be in eachothers presence. For once Elyza isn't worried about her next meal, or the walking dead looming outside the neighborhoods fence. She is content . She chances a glance at Alicia and her breath catches in her throat. How can someone be that beautiful, she thinks to herself. Alicia feels Elyza's eyes on her and meets her gaze.

For a moment Elyza is frozen in place, her tongue heavy in her mouth. Her head begins to spin as those deep pools of emerald green entrance her.

"You should stay." Alicia breaks the silence first.

Elyza looks down at her hands and smirks, "Didn't know you cared Princess." she quipped.

"Cut the bullshit Elyza." Alicia says a little too harshly, "How much longer do you think you're gonna survive out there huh? A few weeks? Maybe a few months?"

"It's none of your concern what I choose to do. " Elyza says through gritted teeth.

"No you're right," Alicia snaps, "But you're stupid if you think you can survive this on your own!"

Elyza is stunned into silence.If it was someone else insulting her, Elyza would have knocked their teeth out, but here this whirlwind of a girl sat calling Elyza out on her stupidity and stubbornness. No bullshit.

"You don't want me to stick around Princess. I'm no good." Elyza looks out the window and into the distance. 

Alicia takes Elyza's hand in hers, surprising them both. Slowly Elyza looks down at their hands and back up to meet her eyes. "You are good enough." Alicia searches Elyza's sky blue eyes. For a moment Elyza allows herself to imagine a life where she no longer has to be alone, a life where she no longer has to run. For a moment hope sprouts in the corner of her eyes. That hope disappears though and buries itself deep within herself. 

Elyza pulls her hand away from Alicia's. She stands, Alicia looks up at her and knows she won't stay.

"It was nice knowing you Princess." 

Alicia looks away from her and out the window. Elyza looks down at her feet and sighs. "Stay out of trouble." Just like that, she left without a word to the other occupants of the house. She had always loathed goodbyes.  
On her bike she hopped. She sat there for a moment, her chest tightens and her hands shake violently. 

"Rule number 1." She says aloud to herself, "Don't get attached." 

She looks back to the house once more, Alicia watches Elyza, her face blank and emotionless. Elyza swallows hard and starts the engine with a kick. She revs once,twice and takes off down the street.

She makes it the edge of the neighborhood and stops at the fence. The sun hangs low in the sky, turning the clouds into a sea of orange and pink. The golden rays warm against her cheeks.  
She watches the gates to hell open with tired and weary eyes.

She rides back into the war zone, back into hell on earth. It would be easier if you just forget her, her head screamed, don't get attached. So she tore down the deserted streets and weaved around walking corpses.  
You'll meet again, her heart whispered and she believed it.


End file.
